Business Support Assistant G4
Geneva Office

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

Assisting almost 90 million people in around 80 countries each year, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. While the 15,000-people working for WFP reflect the rich diversity of the world in which we work, the vital importance of our shared mission underpins a remarkably close community of purpose.

We are seeking to fill the position of Business Support Assistant G4, based in the WFP Geneva Office in Switzerland.

PLEASE NOTE:

Applicants must reside within commuting distance

of the duty station Geneva, Switzerland and must have a valid work permit

The activities of the WFP Geneva Office comprise two major work streams: inter-agency partnerships and communications. Combined, these workstreams involve over 25 partnerships with UN agencies, international NGOs, NGO consortia and private sector. The office interacts with the Member States, the humanitarian donor community and other humanitarian partners and media in Geneva to present and support WFP’s strategic and operational priorities and brief them on its activities.  

Under the overall supervision of the Director, the Business Support Assistant works as a member of a front office two-person team providing overall administrative support to the WFP Office in Geneva and visiting staff. The Office is looking for a team player who will adapt to his or her role quickly, and work with minimum supervision. The successful candidate will be a proactive problem solver, detail-oriented and have good communication and interpersonal skills.

The incumbent will fulfill the following main duties (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive) under the guidance/supervision of the Business Support Associate:

• Administration
• IT Support assistant
  • Act as a focal point for any IT-related issues, proactively seeking problem resolution by collaborating closely with the WFP IT Service Desk and/or the office’s local IT support company.
  • Provide basic IT support to all office staff and visitors.
  • Assist in setting up conference calls and presentations.
• Correspondence
• Any other duties as required

1. Gather information with clear direction to support the drafting of documents and preparing reports by other staff.
2. Respond to queries and escalate where appropriate, in order to provide a timely and accurate service to clients.
3. Support processing and managing routine administrative and financial tasks in various functional areas, to contribute to the effective and timely management of resources.
4. Provide revision and proof-reading services for standard documents, to contribute to the development of accurate documentation.
5. Take responsibility for the maintenance of set standard systems and files, to ensure information is accurate and readily available for the function.
6. Identify simple discrepancies in statistics and data, such as missing information, and report to senior staff in order to support clients to deliver their work.
7. Take responsibility for data integrity to facilitate the availability of accurate information in corporate systems.
8. Provide guidance on routine business support methods and practices to junior colleagues to ensure services are delivered consistently and to the required standards.
9. Work with a variety of individuals, taking on feedback where appropriate to assist in business support delivery for staff.

Education:

• Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in Office Management or other field related to the duties of this position is an asset.

Experience:

• Four or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work. Work experience with the UN would be an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and French.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Proficient in the use of office equipment and computer software packages, such as advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Good understanding of IT and phone hardware and software functionalities, together with practical ability, so that simple and routine problems may be resolved capably and efficiently
• Knowledge of work routines and methods in order to complete processes under minimal supervision
• Displaying tact and courtesy when giving and receiving information to a wide range of individuals
• Ability to identify data discrepancies and rectify problems requiring attention
• Ability to offer guidance or basic on-the-job training to more junior staff

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Applicants must reside within commuting distance of the duty station, Geneva.

Applicants may be:

1. Swiss nationals holding a valid passport and/or identity card; or
2. Non-Swiss citizens holding a valid Swiss work permit.

20 September 2019

VA: 107062

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.